Description
Kindred
1. Describe the ways Critical Race Theory and Intersectional theory manifest in this novel, using at least one concrete example of each, focused on Alice and Kevin.
2. In the dictionary, the word ‘kindred’ can mean “one’s family and relations”, and “similar in kind; related”. How is Dana ‘kindred’ to Rufus, Alice, and Kevin?
3. How does Dana and Kevin’s relationship change when they’re in the past, compared to the present? Why?
4. Dana remarks that it’s easy to get people to accept slavery. What prompts her to say that? What do we accept today that the future may judge negatively?
5. What do you know of your own family history? Where are your people from? What did they overcome? How does that impact your understanding of who you are?
Explanation & Answer
Attached.
Running Head: KINDRED
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Kindred
Name
Course
Institution
Date
KINDRED
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Kindred
Question one
According to the critical race theory, racism is deeply entrenched in the social fabric of
American society. Through these lenses, this theory interrogates how racism informs many
aspects of culture like power, the law, and many more. In this context, the white privilege forms
the epicenter of all the power struggles experienced in the country. Fundamentally, it applies the
thinking that what is people of color were the primary decision-makers. Would the power or
legal landscape look the same or not? The intersection theory says that discrimination that results
from the overlapping of social identities.
In the story, Alice is a slave whose role is solely defined by Rufus, who is white during
slavery times. Dana is also a significant influence on Alice’s life (Butler, 2003). Her struggles
throughout the story are representative of many black Americans who are struggling in a society
that is defined by white superiority. As a black woman who initially enjoyed freed, slavery puts
her in a very sorry situation. As an example, she cannot leave without incurring risks. Also, she
is in no position to turn down demands.
In many instances, in the story, she is used as a sex toy and not as a human. Thus, using
the two theories, she is a victim of a deeply entrenched form of racism in society. As for Kevin,
he is used to be an example. People can overcome the confines of racism and white supremacy....